By Siegfried 0. Hansch

The purpose of the experiment in question was to test whether eggs selected on a certain day and under specific sidereal influences will remain fresh and intact if kept beyond their normal time of freshness of up to three months duration. The experiment is based on the original article in the ALCHEMICAL LABORATORY BULLETINS, Vol. II, No. 2, 1970 and a further report in Vol. II, No. 10, 1970.

Three eggs laid on each of the respective dates by hens which were kept under natural conditions were selected before, during, and after Easter of 1973, as indicated below. The eggs were then stored on top of a cupboard in my basement laboratory which at that level has an average temperature of 65oF. Even during the summer or winter months did the temperature seldom rise above or fall below 65oF. However, the humidity decreased to between 10% and 15% during the long heating period in the winter. This in turn caused a considerable dehydration in all of the eggs tested.

After 360 days they were open on Easter Monday, April 15, 1974. The conditions of the eggs selected on the respective days indicated below were as follows: [Full moon: 17th April, 27o Libra]

1. Wednesday before Easter, April 18, 1973:
One egg putrefied, one egg half putrefied, one egg in good condition.
2. Good Friday, April 20, 1973:
All three eggs were found in AI condition except for the dehydration noted above.
3. Saturday before Easter, April 21, 1973: All three eggs were found in AI condition.
4. Easter Sunday, April 22, 1973:
All three eggs were found in AI condition, no black spots, etc. 5. Easter Monday, April 23, 1973: Two eggs were found in AI condition. One egg is absolutely putrefied with the accompanying smell. Here a mix-up could have occurred on the part of the farmer on whom I had to rely for accurate dating.
6. Wednesday after Easter, April 25, 1973: Two eggs were found in A1 condition. One egg was putrefied.

Unfortunately I was unable to obtain eggs for every day of the preceding and the following weeks of Easter of 1973. Consequently a full evaluation and comparison is therefore not possible. However, the fact remains that after 360 days at an ideal decaying temperature, out of the 18 eggs tested, 14 eggs were found to be in AI condition except for a dehydration of the albumen of approximately 35 percent. One egg was half putrefied. In all eggs the yolk had naturally settled to the bottom. No bad smell was noticed in these 14 eggs and they seemed to be fit for human consumption. In order to substantiate past findings, a new test was started again this year with eggs selected at each day of the week just prior and following Easter of 1974.

Q. Since the mercury is the same throughout the mineral kingdom, could this mercury of sulphur then be used to extract directly from any other of the minerals with the exception of antlmony where the mercury is fixed?

A. The mercury of sulphur needs to be rectified many times to become useable for other mineral extractions. It is very hard to come by. It is questionable that you had the mercury of sulphur as you state.

Q. To explain the quintessence, could we think of it as a name or symbol? It would seem that different ones of the three essentials can be referred to as the quintessence, and yet it is referred to as the fifth element, or that of vibration?

A. The quintessence is one of the three and refers to mercury.

Q. When you put acetic acid on the glass, or the calcined ore of antimony, - you get a red tincture. When you distill off the acetic acid, and neutralize the red powder obtained, you can get a fixed oil from it.
You can follow the same procedure on the metals.
From copper you get a green tincture which, when the acetic acid is distilled off, yields a brownish powder.
From Iron Oxide a red tincture, and then a brown powder. From Tin Oxide a blue tincture and then a brown powder. From Silver Oxide a light golden tincture and then a brown powder. From all of these you can extract a fixed oil. My point is this. Is the sedirnent which remains, that has been covered with acetic acid, also fixed?

A. Yes. it is the fixed powder from which the fixed tincture is obtained.

Q. Certain esotenc traditions speak of a spiritual hierarchy which guides
the destiny of this planet and all who are evolving on it. Some have
compared it to a board of directors, only with far vaster responsibilities,
of course, than any worldly corporate board. The various departments
of activity in the world. are said to be divided into seven sections or
rays. each under the direction of a Master Guide or "Cohan". Is
alchemical activity of the present (such as that at P.R.S.) the special
of one of these seven rays?

A. No.

Q. How were the old alchemists able to filter successfully without the use
of filter papers, such as we have today?

A. By using wool threads immersed in the liquid and hanging over the container from which the liquid is filtered.

Q. We know that Alchemy offers the most beneficial medications available for the physical ailments of man-because these medications are the only ones containing the three essentials. However, is there also an alchemical therapy for the equally serious emotional and mental disturbances that hinder the well-being of mankind?

A. A separation of clean thoughts from impure thoughts followed by similar actions. This brings peace of mind.

Q. We have been told that a steam distillation is necessary for extracting the volatile oils from a substance. Can you discuss a little further on volatile oils and our need for them?

A. It is one of the three essentials necessary for the completion of a herbal product such as the herbal stone. This oil of sulphur is pure.

Q. If our, supposedly, goal was to prove Paracelsus correct by proving that cancer can be cured by the use of Antimony, why has this been dropped and Antimony is being pursued as a preventive medicine?

A. It has not been dropped. Investigation is still going on.

Q. The Antimony Chloride turned white when hot water was added. Does the hot water release the energy that purified it to white?

A. No.

Q. You gave us a more simple method of purifying our salt than by prolonged calcination. You mentioned that there was a more simple method than calcination to obtain the purified sulphur, but did not explain this method.

A. It is done by leaching with water the gray calcined salt. The filtered water is evaporated and the salt remains behind.

Q. The handbook describes a test for alchemical preparations. We took two of our cherished powders and heated them to a glowing red on a copper penny. The wax like consistency did not develop. The penny oxidized which in cooling chipped and flaked all the powders to the winds. Does this indicate a basic failure in the preparation of the herb or will more patience, imbibing and calcination bring the co-mingled three substances to the desired result.